[Resolved] My P85 has developed the milling noise and Tesla won't fix it.

[Cyclone]

in the 3 or 4 DUs now that i've had that had the milling noise, one of which was EXTREMELY excessive, the milling noise NEVER occurred during regen. it was only when power was > 0kW

It wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong and likely not the last, so I am open to the idea that I am remembering incorrectly. The repair order shows I got the car back from milling sound review on June 2nd. In August the drive unit was replaced for the clunking sound and that most definitely occurred in drive and regen (it was the transition between the two). Given the more recent issue, perhaps I'm remembering wrong.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Well I'll be darned. I just got a call from the Rockville MD service center (should I mention who called me?) and they explained that they want me to be happy with my car, and have scheduled me for a DU replacement at 9 AM on October 9th.

I have to say, the Rockville guys have always taken care of me in the end. A couple of times it has taken a little bit of negotiation, but now that they have agreed to replace my DU I can say that they have addressed every concern I have had to date.

Feeling much better now about my car and Tesla.

I'm glad you were taken care of, but it shouldn't have required you posting your dissatisfaction to the forum just to have one of Tesla's forum stalkers escalate the issue. If Tesla really wants owners to be happy, they shouldn't give them the runaround in the first place!

 

[Max*]

I'm glad you were taken care of, but it shouldn't have required you posting your dissatisfaction to the forum just to have one of Tesla's forum stalkers escalate the issue. If Tesla really wants owners to be happy, they shouldn't give them the runaround in the first place!

It's much cheaper to only deal with the loud complainers

 

[apacheguy]

The "milling sound" is caused by a bearing that gets worn and goes bad.

If you're right then that might explain why they've been slow to address the root cause. Replacing a bearing is a small cost to them so they likely placed low priority on the permanent fix.

 

[Cyclone]

If you're right then that might explain why they've been slow to address the root cause. Replacing a bearing is a small cost to them so they likely placed low priority on the permanent fix.

Perhaps, but if they have to send the drive units to Freemont for remanufacturing (to replace the bearing), that shipping can't be cheap. Or maybe they can replace the bearing at the SvC, but then why aren't they replacing the bearing and giving people back their own packs rather than replacing them? Maybe the labor cost is too high per repair and they wait till they have a stack of them to fix and one day a tech does nothing but replace bearings?

Any way you cut it, it would be much cheaper for Tesla to find a permanent fix.

 

[taurusking]

@kenkamm :::: Glad they took care of you.

Is this why they have the $200 deductible for ESA in the first place...Probably they want to hear only loud complainers???

I had my DU replaced once in March of this year and my second one has already started making noise at low speeds...

I am thinking I will drive little longer ..

 

[dsm363]

My P85 has developed the milling noise and Tesla won't fix it.

The noise is an inherent issue with the Tesla drive units. Despite claims by some that tesla has found a solution, I've yet seen evidence of this. Since a DU replacement is inevitable (perhaps multiple replacements), it appears that Tesla will try to get the most mileage out of each unit before replacement to save on costs. The downside is that the owners will have to live with the milling noise.

There are legitimate issues but you seem to pop up on every thread dealing with a negative aspect of the car, ownership..etc. The car is far from perfect (nothing is) and there are legitimate gripes with Tesla but you seem to focus on everything negative.

 

[kennybobby]

As an example: When motor power is applied, the sloppy bearing allows the two gears' mesh to change unfavorably. Gears tend to want to distance themselves under power. If the bearing is allowing relative movement because it's worn, the gear mesh may part slightly, only under power. Gears like these need to be very carefully aligned to wear properly and remain silent. When motor power isn't being applied, the worn bearing allows the gears to mesh back together to proper alignment, and the noise goes away.

Another example. These gears are spiral cut (like all modern transmission gears, because it's quieter.) Thrust bearings are required because the gears want to move axially under power. If it's a faulty thrust bearing, it will make noise when put under the stress of the pressure applied to it when the gears are under power from the motor.

Excellent description. There is no thrust bearing--they use deep-groove radial ball bearings, hence the worn bearings and noise. The thrust load changes directions axially on the gear shafts when going from accel to regen and vice versa, so the bearings on either end of the shaft see this load reversal, but one end is carrying most of the load under acceleration and likely gets worn first. If the wear gets great enough then the shaft can slide such that the gear makes contact with the inside of the gearbox housing--that makes a milling sound and leaves aluminum flakes in your gear oil.

 

[qwk]

The first video posted is not the milling noise, it's the "drone". The second video is the milling noise.

 

[sorka]

I just hope Tesla fixes this issue before the first units hit 8 years. It's nice that they're replacing DUs to keep customers happy but I'd be happier if they never had to be replaced in the first place.

 

[AnOutsider]

Well I'll be darned. I just got a call from the Rockville MD service center (should I mention who called me?) and they explained that they want me to be happy with my car, and have scheduled me for a DU replacement at 9 AM on October 9th.

I have to say, the Rockville guys have always taken care of me in the end. A couple of times it has taken a little bit of negotiation, but now that they have agreed to replace my DU I can say that they have addressed every concern I have had to date.

Feeling much better now about my car and Tesla.

Just posting your tale here alone could lead to a phone call from someone offering to fix it.

:smile:

 

[AZbba]

I just hope Tesla fixes this issue before the first units hit 8 years. It's nice that they're replacing DUs to keep customers happy but I'd be happier if they never had to be replaced in the first place.

Oh I'm sure they will fix it. With all the new cares with 2 du's this is going to be affecting a lot of cars.

Mine has gotten pretty loud. I took it by the SC about a month ago they confirmed it was the milling noise and ordered a replacement DU. Haven't heard anything, so I called them (took a few tries on different days to actually get them to pick up the phone) and they said it had been ordered but they can take 4-6 weeks to arrive. I explained that the sound was getting very loud and they said they would ask the parts department to expedite it.

 

[CHG-ON]

I wonder.

It seems to me that the Eastern US Tesla service centers have way poorer service than we have in CA. And I am not trying to smug, honestly. But when I read through all these posts, it always seems like the Eastern SC's are jerks about this stuff. Now, yes, I do live right next to Silicon Valley and I do use the Sunnyvale SC. But I have never gotten anything but the most amazing service. Also in Burlingame...both are close to HQ and the factory. They never argue with me at all, pick the car up for free and give me an equal or BETTER loaner, keep me updated at LEAST once a day and deliver on their promises. I even had a Pano roof seal issue for which they brought in a "glass specialist from the outside because we couldn't figure it out". I'm not kidding. For free. As it should be.

It really pisses me off, actually. Because it sounds like the good old dealer model all over again is happening as they get farther from the Mother Ship. Typical, I guess. My recommendation would be to call HQ in Palo Alto:

Tesla Corporate Office Headquarters HQ
Tesla Motors
3500 Deer Creek
Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA
Corporate Phone Number: 1-650-681-5000
Fax Number: 1-650-681-5101
Customer Service Number: 1-877-798-3752

and raise hell. We ALL deserve the best service, no matter where we are. If there are SC's out there that suck. They need to know. And you deserve to have your needs met.

Period.

 

[SeminoleFSU]

I think they'll wait for it to get worse and then replace.

I had the humming noise which all my friends complained about. Telsa didn't replace it until it became the clunk noise on load reversal.

that's where I was... milling/buzzing noise along with the heavy groan/droning above 70MPH for quite a while, then when the clunk developed they swapped out my DU with a refurb and replaced the motor mount. It has made a huge difference, and I'm not looking forward to any of those noises coming back.. I love my car the way it is right now- it sounds like the new(er) loaners I get.

 

[supratachophobia]

I wonder.

It seems to me that the Eastern US Tesla service centers have way poorer service than we have in CA. And I am not trying to smug, honestly. But when I read through all these posts, it always seems like the Eastern SC's are jerks about this stuff. Now, yes, I do live right next to Silicon Valley and I do use the Sunnyvale SC. But I have never gotten anything but the most amazing service. Also in Burlingame...both are close to HQ and the factory. They never argue with me at all, pick the car up for free and give me an equal or BETTER loaner, keep me updated at LEAST once a day and deliver on their promises. I even had a Pano roof seal issue for which they brought in a "glass specialist from the outside because we couldn't figure it out". I'm not kidding. For free. As it should be.

It really pisses me off, actually. Because it sounds like the good old dealer model all over again is happening as they get farther from the Mother Ship. Typical, I guess. My recommendation would be to call HQ in Palo Alto:

Tesla Corporate Office Headquarters HQ
Tesla Motors
3500 Deer Creek
Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA
Corporate Phone Number: 1-650-681-5000
Fax Number: 1-650-681-5101
Customer Service Number: 1-877-798-3752

and raise hell. We ALL deserve the best service, no matter where we are. If there are SC's out there that suck. They need to know. And you deserve to have your needs met.

Period.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.... Columbus, Ohio is top-notch and we are close to the east coast. Now, you west-coasters have Denver bringing you down. Go take care of them before you start ragging on the east coast.

- - - Updated - - -

:smile:

I will admit that one should not have to post on here in order to get something done. There are a lot of things going on in every service center. I don't want to make-up excuses, but I find it hard to believe they flat out refused service on a clearly bad drive-unit. And by 'bad', it could simply be out of spec, but that is still unacceptable since it didn't always do that.

 

[Cyclone]

that's where I was... milling/buzzing noise along with the heavy groan/droning above 70MPH for quite a while, then when the clunk developed they swapped out my DU with a refurb and replaced the motor mount. It has made a huge difference, and I'm not looking forward to any of those noises coming back.. I love my car the way it is right now- it sounds like the new(er) loaners I get.

Exactly my case, even the motor mount being retrofitted!

 

[Lyon]

My P85 has developed the milling noise and Tesla won't fix it.

The milling noise affects base DUs as well.

Are they having issues with the Dual motor units as well?

I honestly didn't know non-performance DUs were affected, thanks for the info.

 

[apacheguy]

Not sure about the base dual motor config. But presumably the early PDs would be affected since they share the performance unit of the single motor Ps.

 

[Oyvind.H]

Are they having issues with the Dual motor units as well?

I honestly didn't know non-performance DUs were affected, thanks for the info.

My s85 swapped DU at a20.000km. Milling noise started again recently at about 35.000km.
Teslas inability to fix serious problems permanently is my main concern for Teslas long term survival. I'm obviously betting they will fix it somewhere down the line as I still recomment Tesla and I`m picking up a Model X soon, but I'm not 100% confident.

 

[MuppetOwl]

Not sure about the base dual motor config. But presumably the early PDs would be affected since they share the performance unit of the single motor Ps.

Not exactly the same, autopilot cars have another Drive Unit revision. The part number must end with -M or later. Also in the part catalog it is described as high speed (for 155mph use). Another difference is the motor mounts.
Tesla have many revisions of the drive unit so it has been improved.